Teenager with an axe sent to prison for his part in an armed robbery in Bradford

Umar Faiz was member of a gang that injured a shopkeeper in an attempt to rob his shop in Bradford has been jailed for 5 years and 6 months at Bradford Crown Court.

Umar Fiaz who was 16 at the time of robbery took an axe with him to the robbery at the Costcutter store.

The other gang members were armed with a sawn off Shotgun.

The shopkeeper in his 50s, was threatened to hand over the cash to them.

The shopkeeper resisted and a few moments later the shopkeeper’s son also came down, together they managed to scare the gang away, they ran to a car that was waiting for them, CCTV footage shows the gang dumping their clothes in a clothing bin and the car was later found burnt out.

Forensics were able to link the clothes from the bin to Umar Fiaz,18 and Owais Ashfaq, the third yet to be identified.

Umar pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery with firearm and one count of dangerous driving and driving with no insurance.

Michael Smith, prosecuting said the shopkeeper Mr Singh managed to keep the gang away from him and the till but suffered a major injury to his back and a few scratches to his hand.

“The back injury gave him considerable difficulty. He was unable to work for five weeks and had considerable difficulty walking.”

Mitigating for Umar, Andrew Stranax said my client was very young at the time of robbery.

Sentencing Fiaz, Recorder Gurdial Singh said to Umar you were “less criminally sophisticated” and gave him 5 years and six months in jail

He said: “Mr Singh courageously tried to prevent you from robbing the shop and was helped by his son. They were able to fight you off and you escaped with nothing.”